News Better harvests with solar energy: Project launch in Western Uganda

In January 2025, the Urbis Foundation launched a new three-year project in collaboration with the Rural Women Empowerment Network (RUWONET) in Kyenjojo District in the Rwenzori Region (Western Uganda).

The aim is to increase the income of smallholder farmers, make solar energy usable in agriculture and promote sustainable cultivation methods.So far, three hectares of land have been acquired, on which a demonstration area has been created: 1.5 hectares of passion fruit and 1 hectare of maize. At the heart of the system is a modern solar irrigation system with a 150,000-liter storage tank, which ensures a reliable water supply throughout the year - regardless of rainfall.
The project is aimed at 50 smallholder farmers, mainly single mothers. They have organized themselves into a self-help group that engages in joint farming and has set up a savings and credit association. The first training course already imparted knowledge about solar irrigation, agroforestry and climate-smart agriculture - an important step towards sustainable methods.
The project increases income and yields, trains women in new skills such as solar technology and protects the environment at the same time. Expensive and climate-damaging diesel pumps for irrigation are now a thing of the past.